DIFF 2010 - My Joy

Sadly we were told at the end of the movie, that the correct translation for 'Schastye Moe' would be 'My Happiness' and not 'My Joy', something that completely changes the viewpoint and puts the whole story in context. Having said that the title falls quite fittingly in place to this excellent piece of very serious cinema.

A very real, de-glorified film on a war-struck city within a degenerated nation. Depressing, dark and uninspiring, the movie captures the several transitions of a war-torn nation and the many personalities that the people have undergone. Keeping its humanism intact while showing extreme barbaric behaviour, the scenes are sketched with both the desperation and despotism of poverty and lawless existence. The movie captures the strength of power and the subsequent extreme of its misuse through its exaggerated, yet believable games of trust and betrayal, sudden jumps and pitfalls.

This movie makes you feel you are somewhere between vieweing several short incidents/stories surrounding the war and watching the story of a single war-inflicted individual. The directors background in documentary film making lends itself here as we see a unique blend of fictionalised screenplay with stories told almost as real life incidents. Very clever metaphors from the time of the year chosen to the type of characterization and contexts used. Screenplay juxtaposition is stunning as it speaks of politics, power game, dictatorship and sexuality, all in the same breath, and with so much realism that it seems all integrated in a single tone of the protagonists personality.

This film is not one that could go down on a single visit and definitely deserves several different viewpoints to peel each layer carefully. The more one analyses, the further intrigued and exciting the process gets. Though set in a very very dark sensibility, this works like a dark chocolate, you would go through it simply for the aftertaste!

9:15pm, 17.12.10 MOE 7

DIFF 2010 - Muhr Asia/Africa shorts

Open Doors (Khule Darwaaze)
A short film on the empty life of an old-age home and the never dying hope of your loved ones taking you away from there. The story showcases an old mother in her long wait for her son to come and take her back and the activities she tries to keep herself busy in. The pain is well shown and the flavor and pace too seemed tasteful, but there was a lack of direction to the story and an uneventful, inconclusive end.

Sleeping With Her
Two protagonists, one longing love and acceptance and the other defying any sort of affection thrown at her. It is the story of thier co-existence despite the odds of thier natures and their stubborn attitude of never giving up. The movie concludes in realization at both ends with role reversals, but only to discover that its too late... The making is weak in characterization, esp. of the young girl and the daughter and lacks motivation. Very predictable behavioural patterns and no surprise elements.

Pedal
A very endearing tale of the loss of a son and the family's acceptance of the reality. Well scripted, layered, crisp execution, good aspects of context brought in, and fitting performances. Also a simple story told in good attention heeded to detail. Nice watch.

Pumzi
A heart-warming sci-fi presentation of a world without water. Very striking, disturbing, scary tale of a future not too far and a very well passed on environmental message. Beautiful pieces of reality used such as the moving from current day to future and then back to our roots (current day to futuristic living in the cell below to nomadic ways of water conservation). Very good attention to detail and just sufficient dose of realism. Very honest approach, and a sure must watch in the future.

My Father
Directionless, weak-intentioned, trying to address too many issues and no distinct film-making style. Very avoidable.

7:00pm, 17.12.10 MOE 5

DIFF 2010 - Muhr Emirati Shorts 1

Solo
A film with some good sense of movie making and a slight attempt at it, but unfortunately we see the pre-lude only as there is no sense of build or climax or end. The story of a musician's struggle for survival in todays world, constructed around the incident of him getting rejected for a marriage proposal based on his financial standing.

Hana ( Rewind)
Good cinematography and thats it, the rest of the movie was the directors exploration with the rewind button.

Malal
Predictable short story, decent screenplay, good selection of background score, and good scenic picteresque camerawork. Wish the actors used were better as metaphors dint come through at all. Characters were not established convincingly, weak storyline, unnecessary dialogues, the screenplay did not ask for any! Should have been called 'The elephant' instead.
The story of a emirati couple on thier honeymoon in Kerala and the womans search for excitement, adventure and an elephant.

Wind
Good cinematography, very good frames great visual feel to the movie. Very slow screenplay, almost intentionally vague, very contrived 'arty' feel. Good acting, interesting background score but too conceptual to relate any metaphor. Story of water parched land and the quest for water. P.s the name is a mystery.

Sabeel
Great meaningful depiction of the other side or aspect of the emirati spectrum. Well taken shots, good cinematography and camerawork. Excellent performances and very good simple story. Story of a poverty struck emirati family, sick mother and two sons and thier struggle to keep her alive and surface above circumstances.

3:30, 17.12.10 MOE 5

DIFF 2010 - Norwegian Woods

Adapted from a novel by 'Murakami'; Norweigan woods is a classic in it's visualization and conceptualization of the movie. Excellent cinematography, very commendable screenplay, this is a movie that is tight and will keep you through the emotional drama ensuring that you feel the textual heights that were probably written. The directors language of story- telling marvels you and even though I havent read the book, I could tell from the few instances quoted by the director in the Q and A session, that the sensibility he described in the book, came out with magical colors on screen.

The one thing that the movie still struggles to break though, is the burden of adapting from a novel. Though wisely chosen and exhibited, for someone who hasnt read the book, the transitions seem abrupt, almost to suggest a past you missed a few pages back. There are a lot of suppositions especially through the movement from one phase of the story through the other, and as an audience you are left to judge the in-betweens. Secondly, the characters as would have probably been imagined, were not distinct or clear at all. The female protagonists needed to have strong identifiably opposing personalities, which was lacking. Also the enormous sexual overtones of the novel, which were adapted in chosen bits in the movie, seemed disconnected or unresolved and the actors looked as clueless as the audience about their significance. Having said that, I believe with the background of the novel, this has got to be exceptionally well executed cinema derived from a text.

9:00pm, 16.12.10 MOE 2

DIFF 2010 - Over your cities grass will grow

An interesting documentary on art as a work of permanence yet impermanent against nature. Though most of the review would be like a curation of the art, it is better critiqued from the point of view of a film.

An interesting yet difficult documentary making exercise, considering it was a showcase of still life (the artist in focus uses spaces and defunct material to create installations). Yet the technique used is entertaining and beyond the first 15 minutes, there is a fun in watching the artist create his art. The artists insights are an interesting juxtaposition, though this would have been better enjoyed as installations in an art gallery. The type of art being showcased deserved a walk through the spatial existence rather than watching a camera pan it.

6:45pm, 16.12.10 MOE 5